HENRY Prince. Father, you cannot disinherit me : If you be king, why should not I succeed? K. Hen. Pardon me, Margaret ;-pardon me, sweet son; The earl of Warwick and the duke enforc'd me. Q. Mar. Enforc'd thee! art thou king, and wilt be forc'd ? 1 shame to hear thee speak. wretch ! Ah! timorous Thou hast undone thyself, thy son, and me; seas; narrow The duke is made protector of the realin; Before I would have granted to that act. nour: ho And seeing thou dost, I here divorce myself, Will follow mine, if once they see them spread: grace, And utter ruin of the house of York. Q. Mar. Thou hast spoke too much already; get thee gone. K. Hen. Gentle son Edward, thou wilt stay with me? Q. Mur. Ay, to be murder'd by his enemies. Prince. When I return with victory from the field, I'll see your grace: till then, I'll follow her. Q. Mar. Come, son, away; we may not linger this. [Exeunt Queen MARGARET and the PRINCE. K. Hen. Poor queen! how love to me, and to her son, Hath made her break out into terms of rage! heart; I'll write unto them, and entreat them fair!- SCENE II-A Room in Sandal Castle, near Wakefield, in Yorkshire. Enter EDWARD, PICHARD, and MONTAGUE. Rich. Brother, though I be youngest, give me leave. Edir. No, I can better play the orator. Rich. About that which concerns your grace and us; The crown of England, father, which is your's. York. Mine, boy? not till king Henry be dead. Rich. Your right depends not on his life, or death. Edw. Now you are heir, therefore enjoy it now: By giving the house of Lancaster leave to breathe, It will outrun you, father, in the end. York. I took an oath, that he should quietly reign. Edw. But, for a kingdom, any oath may be broken: I'd break a thousand oaths to reign one year. York. I shall be, if I claim by open war. me speak. York. Thou canst not, son; it is impossible. Rich. An oath is of no moment, being not took Before a true and lawful magistrate, That hath authority over him that swears: pose, Your oath, my lord, is vain and frivolous. Brother, thou shalt to London presently, But, stay; What news? Why com'st thou in such post? Mess. The queen, with all the northern carls and lords, Intend here to besiege you in your castle : York. Ay, with my sword. What! think'st And thus most humbly I do take my leave. [Exit. Enter Sir JOHN and Sir HUGH MORTIMER. York. Sir John, and Sir Hugh Mortimer, mine uncles, You are come to Sandal in a happy hour: York. What! with five thousand men ? Rich. Ay, with five hundred, father, for a need. A woman's general; What should we fear? [A March afar of, Edw I hear their drums; let's set our men in order; And issue forth, and bid them battle straight. York. Five men to tweaty !-though the odds be great, I doubt not, uncle, of our victory, SCENE III.-Plains near Sandal Castle. Alarums: Excursions. Enter RUTLAND and his TUTOR. Cif. Soldiers, away with him. Thy father slew my father; therefore, die. [CLIFFORD stabs kim. Rut. Dii faciant, laudis summa sit ista tua!* [Dies. SCENE IV.-The same. York. The army of the queen hath got the field : My uncles both are slain in rescuing me; them: And full as oft came Edward to my side, With purple faulchion, painted to the bit In blood of those that had encounter'd him: And when the hardiest warriors did retire, Tat. Ah! Clifford, murder not this innocent Richard cried,-Charge! and give no foot of child, pent-up lion o'er the Rut. So looks the wretch That trembles under his devouring paws : And so he walks, insulting o'er his prey; And so he comes to rend his limbs asunder.Ah! geatle Clifford, kill me with thy sword, And not with such a cruel threat'ning look. Sweet Clifford, hear me speak before I die ;I am too mean a subject for thy wrath, Be thou reveng'd on men, and let me live. Clif. In vain thou speak'st, poor boy; my father's blood Hath stopp'd the passage where thy words should enter. Rut. Then let my father's blood open it again; He is a man, and, Clifford, cope with him. Were not revenge sufficient for me; It could not slake mine ire, nor ease my heart. [Lifting his hand. Rut. O let me pray before I take my death: To thee I pray; Sweet Clifford, pity me! Cf. Such pity as my rapier's point affords. Kut. I never did thee harm; Why wilt thou slay ine? Clif. Thy father bath. Rut. But 'twas ere I was born. Thou hast one son, for his sake pity me; Ah! let me live in prison all my days; • Siace. ground! And, if thou canst for blushing view this face: And bite thy tongue, that slanders him with cowardice, Whose frown hath made thee faint and fly ere this. Clif. I will not bandy with thee word for But buckle with thee blows, twice two for one. Q. Mar. Hold, valiant Clifford ! for a thou- I would prolong awhile the traitor's life :Wrath makes him deaf; speak thou, Northumberland. North. Hold, Clifford; do not honour him so To prick thy finger, though to wound his heart: [They lay hands on YORK, who struggles. Cif. Ay, ay, so strives the woodcock with the gin. North. So doth the coney struggle in the net. [YORK is taken prisoner. York. So triumphi thieves upon their conquer'a booty; So true men⚫ yield,, with robbers so o'ermatch'd. North. What would your grace have done unto him now? Q. Mar. Brave warriors, Clifford and North- Come make him stand upon this molehill here; arms, Yet parted but the shadow with his hand.- Was't you that revell'd in our parliament, Was wont to cheer his dad in mutinies? Look, York; I stain'd this napkin with the That valiant Clifford, with his rapier's point, What, bath thy fiery heart so parch'd thine en- That not a tear can fall for Rutland's death? Why art thou patieut, man? thou should'st be mad; And I, to make thee mad, do mock thee thus. York cannot speak, unless he wear a crown. him. Hold you his hands, whilst I do set it on. [Putting a paper Crown on his Head. is crown'd so soon, and broke his solemn oath? ↑ Reached. 1 Handkerchief. HENRY VI pale your head in Henry's glory, And, whilst we breathe, take time to do him dead. + Clif. That is my office, for my father's sake. York. She-wolf of France, but worse than tooth, How ill-beseeming is it in thy sex, I would assay proud queen, to make thee To tell thee whence thou cam'st, of whom dcriv'd, not shameless, Thy father bears the type of king of Naples, Unless the adage must be verified, horse to 'Tis beauty that doth oft make women proud; The want thereof makes thee abominable : For raging wind blows up incessant showers, quies; every drop death, obse for his And North. Beshrew me, but his passions ¶ move me so, That hardly can I check my eyes from tears. But you are more inhuman, more inexorable, boy, And I with tears do wash the blood away. ↑ Kill him. Impale, encircle with a crown. 1 The distinguishing mark. § Government, in the language the time, signified evenness of temper, and decency of minners. 4 Sufferings. The North. And say,-Alas, it was piteous deed!- curse; And, in thy need, such comfort come to thee, I should not for my life but weep with him, Q. Mar. What, weeping-ripe, my lord Northumberland ? Think but upon the wrong he did us all, And that will quickly dry thy melting tears. Clif. Here's for my oath, here's for my father's death. [Stabbing him. Q. Mar. And here's to right our gentle-hearted king. [Stabbing him. York. Open thy gate of mercy, gracious God! My soul flies through these wounds to seek out thee. [Dies. Q. Mar. Off with his head, and set it on York gates; So York may overlook the town of York. ACT II. [Exeunt. news; Or, had he 'scaped, methinks we should have heard The happy tidings of his good escape.- Rich. I cannot joy, until I be resolved And watch'd him how he singled Clifford forth, Methought he bore him in the thickest troop, As doth a lion in a herd of neat: t Or as a bear, encompass'd round with dogs; Who, having pinch'd a few, and made them That we, the sons of brave Plantagenet, And over-shine the earth, as this the world. You love the breeder better than the male. Enter a MESSENGER. But what art thou, whose heavy looks foretell much. Rich. Say how he died, for I will hear it all. Mess. Environed he was with many foes; And stood against them, as the hope of Troy + Against the Greeks, that would have euter'd Troy. But Hercules himself must yield to odds; Laugh'd in his face; and when with grief be wept, The ruthless queen gave him, to dry his cheeks, And, after many scorns, many foul taunts, Edw. Sweet duke of York, our prop to lean upon; Now thou art gone, we have no staff, no stay! O Clifford, boist'rous Clifford, thou hast slain thee! Now my soul's palace is become a prison : Might in the ground be closed up in rest: Rich. I cannot weep: for all my body's mais 1 March.-Enter WARWICK and MONTAGUE, War. How now, fair lords? What fare? Rich. Great lord of Warwick, if we should Our baleful news, at each word's deliverance, wounds. O valiant lord, the duke of York is slain. Which held thee dearly as his soul's redemp- Is by the stern lord Clifford done to death.* tears: And now, to add more measure to your woes, gasp, Tidings, as swiftly as the post could run, friends, And very well appointed, as I thought, flocks of And wring the awful sceptre from his fist; As he is famed for mildness, peace, and Rich. I know it well, lord Warwick; blame 'Tis love I bear thy glories makes me speak. And wrap our gowns, War. Why, therefore Warwick came to seek March'd towards Saint Alban's to intercept the With all the friends that thou, brave earl of I cannot judge: but, to conclude with truth, Their weapons like to lightning came went; Will but amount to five and twenty thousand, Ne'er may he live to see a sunshine day, And when thou fall'st, (as God and Our soldiers-like the night-owl's lazy flight, In haste, post-haste, are come to join with Must Edward fall, which peril heaven fore- War. No longer earl of March, but duke of The next degree is, England's royal throne; (As thou hast shown it flinty by thy deeds,) Enter a MESSENGER. The queen is coming with a puissant host; Let's away. SCENE II.-Before York. Enter King HENRY, Queen MARGARET, the Q. Mar. Welcome, my lord, to this brave • Lofty. Killed. |